A Saudi man suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus passed away at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday at a specialized hospital in Jeddah. May Allah have mercy upon him. The patient had been admitted to the intensive care unit late Monday after exhibiting symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever following a business trip to Sierra Leone. The cause of the infection is still under investigation.

The Ministry of Health has submitted samples to an international reference lab in the United States as recommended by the World Health Organization. Additional samples are being sent to an accredited laboratory in Germany.

Preparations for burial will be performed at the hospital in keeping with Islamic religious practices and international guidelines for patients suspected of having an infectious disease like Ebola.

MOH officials have been in direct and continuous contact with the family of the patient. Public health experts began retracing the patient’s travels upon notification of his symptoms and travel history. They are currently monitoring the people he came into contact with for any symptoms associated with viral hemorrhagic fever.